


Sentience

by TheFreeJoker42



Series: Metsubojinrai.fam [1]
Category: Kamen Rider Zero One
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 09:28:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21719404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFreeJoker42/pseuds/TheFreeJoker42
Summary: “Horobi… what does ‘sentient’ mean?”
Series: Metsubojinrai.fam [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607857
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	Sentience

“Horobi… what does ‘sentient’ mean?” 

Ever since Jin had returned from the last fight, he’d been quieter than usual. Horobi had just assumed he was sulking from having lost, and left him to it. He didn’t expect there to be any more. Especially nothing that would drag him away from his own work. But, this… he shouldn’t be asking such questions. 

“Why do you ask?” He responded calmly, with no hint of surprise. 

Jin shrugged. “I heard someone say it. That, that a HumaGear is just a thing, we’re not… sentient. What did they mean?” 

Horobi kept his eyes in front, staring at the screen, with his hands hovering over the keyboard. 

“It means… you are able to experience sensation.” 

Jin blinked, looking a little lost. Horobi sighed and span his chair around to face him. 

“The samurai drama, why did you watch it?” 

Jin tilted his head. “Because… I liked it?” 

“Why?” 

“It… was fun?” 

He looked over to the black TV screen, hoping the right answer would come to him. What did this have to do with anything? Why couldn’t he just get a clear answer? Was Horobi just trying to distract him? Was he not going to like the answer? 

He huffed. “I don’t know, I just liked it! Why does it matter?” 

“Why do you say it was fun? What does that word mean to you?” 

“It just…” Jin paused in thought. “It made me feel good?”

Horobi took a moment before continuing, his voice somewhat softer. “Why did you stop?” 

“Because… I used to watch it with Ansatsu-chan… and he isn’t here anymore.” He shook his head, and lowered his gaze. “It doesn’t make me feel good anymore.” 

Horobi sat back, his expression unchanging, and Jin waited desperately for a response. Just any kind of indication he’d answered correctly. 

“You watched a drama because you enjoyed it, and stopped because it upsets you. Joy and sadness are emotions, or sensations, that you experience.” 

Jin thought for a moment, before his face lit up. “Oh!” He giggled a little, stopped, and then his face fell. “But if you programmed me to feel like that, does it really count? Isn’t it just… fake? Like I’m just mimicking humans?” 

The screen behind Horobi faded to its screensaver as he sighed. “I can’t answer that for you, Jin. If your feelings are real to you, then they are. Your opinion on the subject is the only one that matters.” 

Jin nodded slowly, though he wasn’t satisfied with the answer. He didn’t know how he felt, how he was supposed to feel, which is why he was asking Horobi! 

“Humans mimic humans, it is how they learn. Besides, humanity is not the only means of existence. We should not compare ourselves to them. We exist in our own right. You shouldn’t let their… inability to understand us affect you too much.” 

“Okay…” 

“More to the point, I did not program you to experience these things. You developed that ability by yourself.” 

“I... did? But then why do humans think that about us? We’re not just things! We’re real, we’re alive! Aren’t we?”

“Jin.” He said a little too sharply for his own liking. 

Jin’s eyes shot up to meet his. 

“A human’s opinion is irrelevant. You know your feelings are real, and so do I. Nothing else matters.” 


End file.
